B.C. launches advisory group on extortion while denying SPS request to delay next phase of RCMP transition
Posted February 19, 2026 7:12 am.
The head of the community advisory group tasked with helping the provincial government and police address the wave of extortion south of the Fraser River admits he has a big job ahead.
On Wednesday, the B.C. provincial government officially announced the appointment of six people to the group, including its chair and former senior RCMP investigator Paul Dadwal, who says the work has already begun.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!Dadwal tells OMNI News that the group’s goal is to “bridge the gap” between the community and the system.
“And the system includes law enforcement, regulatory bodies, victim services — society. It’s looking at the macro issue of what’s actually happening in our community, in the community,” Dadwal explained.
He says the group is already in conversation with business associations, boards of trade, police leaders, and families, with collaboration in mind.
“The community has great ideas, and the ideas that have come already to us in the past week are brilliant. And so it’s for us to get those ideas, know the gaps, and provide recommendations to provincial government, the minister of public safety and the premier for their assessment.”
Meanwhile, the province denied a Surrey Police Service (SPS) proposal, asking to delay the next phase of the city’s transition away from the RCMP as the police of jurisdiction.
In a statement Wednesday, Chief Norm Lipinski claimed the past six months of extortion-related crimes have been taxing on the service’s staffing capacity.
“Addressing this serious and complex issue has required the redeployment of more than 40 SPS officers to specialized investigative teams,” Lipinski explained.
“Based on this reality, SPS recommended a revised timeline that would allow us to maintain strong response levels across the city while continuing to address the extortion investigations effectively. This proposal, which would have delayed the Cloverdale transition by approximately four months, was presented to the Province of BC through meetings, detailed briefings, and formal correspondence.”
But Lipinski says the Director of Policing and Law Enforcement Services declined the request and instructed the SPS to assume responsibility for all of Cloverdale by April 1.
The police chief says discussions with the province, police board, union, and “legal counsel” are ongoing.
Dadwal says his group is designed to help complement police efforts, among others.
He says no one thought the extortion problem would become “this extreme,” and the advisory group is developing a system to connect with victims while maintaining police “operational independence.”
“We come from no agenda outside of truly making change because we’re not going to tolerate this for our country. We’re just not going to tolerate it,” said Dadwal.
Other members of the group include:
- Baltej Dhillon, veteran RCMP officer,
- Garry Begg, former minister of public safety and MLA for Surrey-Guildford,
- Wally Oppal, former attorney general and retired judge,
- Ninu Kang, executive director of Ending Violence Association of BC,
- Harp Khela, Surrey business owner.
—With files from OMNI News and Dean Recksiedler
